Pitchface started as a boozy dinner idea in Footscray. Now they're headlining one of Melbourne's grandest stages with Kate Miller-Heidke and gunning for a world record.
Pitchface would like you to know they are not a normal choir. They don’t audition. They don’t require you to read music. Their uniform is double denim and a bold red lip, and they have a way of describing what they’ve built that makes the whole thing sound deceptively casual.
“The way we described it to people joining is that the group is like a low maintenance friend – not too much pressure, no drama, but a safe space to be yourself,” the founders say. “The fact that we end up making a sound we’re really proud of is mostly down to the mix of trust, chutzpah, energy and talent (possibly in that order!).”
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What started six years ago as a half-baked idea between four mates over dinner in Footscray has swelled into a 120-voice singing squad of women and non-binary performers from Melbourne’s inner west. They’ve backed Coldplay at Marvel Stadium, sung at the Australian Open Women’s Final, and performed alongside Sarah Blasko, Liz Stringer and Dave Gleeson at Hamer Hall for RocKwiz.
The Coldplay invitation arrived without warning. “We were just minding our own business when we got an unexpected email from someone connected to their tour needing a community choir,” they say. “The story goes that they were searching through an online list of choirs in Melbourne, saw our name and thought, ‘Well, they sound like fun.’ Things have undeniably changed since then, but with every new twist and turn we’re looking at each other with wide eyes and mouthing ‘WTF’.”
On 25 July, they headline Palais Theatre with special guest Kate Miller-Heidke — a booking made possible by the City of Port Phillip’s one-dollar venue hire initiative for community groups. The Miller-Heidke connection came together through what the founders describe as “all luck and bolshiness, really.” Co-founder and ABC News anchor Tamara Oudyn cornered the singer at an event late last year, talked up the choir and walked away with her email address. One of the Pitchface singers had already arranged one of Miller-Heidke’s songs, giving them something concrete to send through. “Kate was gracious and generous enough in that moment not to fob us off and gave Tam her email address,” the founders say. She’ll join the choir on stage for a few numbers, including a track from her forthcoming album.
The group’s evolution also traces back to the pandemic, when singing with other people was effectively banned. The founders started hiring female musicians for private Zoom concerts, and through that process connected with Marilen Tabacco, manager of Vika and Linda Bull, who encouraged them to book a proper show at Brunswick Ballroom once restrictions lifted.
The double denim look was the brainchild of co-founder and hair and makeup artist Harriet O’Donnell. “There was a little bit of resistance (mostly from Tam) who was worried about looking too mumsy, but we’ve learnt never to quibble with Haz when it comes to the aesthetics,” the founders say. “It’s much more than just bunging on a denim jacket with jeans. The more denim the better – there’s no such thing as too much, as you’ll see when we’re on stage.”
They’re also gunning for a record. The current Guinness benchmark for the largest gathering of people wearing double denim is 357, set in Japan in 2024. Pitchface want to smash it and set the first Australian record via the Australian Book of Records — and they’re enlisting the audience to help. “Sometimes all you really need is an enabler… and we’re encouraging our audience to go all out for this show. It’s a safe space!”
Tickets are $50 via Ticketmaster.
For more information, head here.
